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Commissioners adopt balanced 2026 budget after public concerns about reassessment and millage
Summary
Warren County commissioners adopted a balanced 2026 budget after reducing projected revenue by 3% to account for reassessment appeals; public commenters raised concerns about a city millage increase, land-bank conflicts and fees on property transfers.
Warren County commissioners adopted the county’s balanced 2026 budget following public comment and discussion. County staff said they prepared the budget on a revenue-neutral assumption provided by the assessment office but reduced expected revenue by 3% to reflect potential reductions from reassessment appeals.
"We did take the expected revenue as revenue neutral for from 2025 to 2026 as presented to us by the assessment office, and we reduced that by 3%," Speaker 2 said, explaining the conservative adjustment to protect the county’s finances from pending appeals.
Members of the public used the meeting’s public-comment period to press two related points: first, Speaker 4 criticized a recent city council decision to raise millage despite reassessments intended to be revenue-neutral and asked what the county commissioners could do in response; commissioners and staff said taxing authorities are independent and directed city-resident concerns to the city council. Second, residents questioned land-bank practices and fees tied to property transfers; speakers asked whether the county’s land-bank fees would be rescinded once the land bank accumulated funds and whether the land bank’s priority at tax sale processes disadvantaged private buyers. Solicitor/legal staff (Speaker 12) responded that the land bank was created by county resolution and that the school district’s participation and representation on the land bank are authorized by statute and the intergovernmental agreement.
Commissioners cited ongoing legal appeals from the countywide reassessment and noted roughly 60 appeals had been filed; the board said it retained outside counsel to assist with those appeals. With the 3% revenue reduction and other cost-control measures, commissioners approved the budget by voice vote.
The board said it will continue to monitor reassessment appeals and any legal or fiscal impacts and urged residents with tax concerns to address the municipal body that sets the levy.
